Dealing With An Illness

By Triathlete.com

Published May 1, 2012

Updated Oct 24, 2012 at 3:52 PM UTC

Photo: Simon Grimmett

There’s no two ways about it: Being sick sucks.

The same drive and determination that draws triathletes to the sport can also be their own worst enemy once an illness strikes. Here are some do’s and don’ts for a speedy recovery from top pro Rachel Joyce:

Do:

» Listen to your body. The body is an efficient machine, and a fever or aches are clear signs you should ease up.
» Get more rest. Resting does not mean going for a two-hour spin on your bike and hoping it’ll make you feel better. It won’t!
» Pay attention to diet and proper hydration. Make it easy on your body to go about its job of fighting off the infection or virus.
» Return to training gently. As you start to feel a little better, resist the urge to jump back into training full-throttle. Give yourself one extra day—chances are you’ll then actually be ready to fully return to training.

Don’t:

» Don’t ignore the blindingly obvious! If you are struggling to climb the stairs, then following your training program does not make sense.
» Don’t expect someone else to be able to tell you what you should and shouldn’t do. Unfortunately your partner/coach/friend doesn’t actually know how you are feeling, so it’s up to you to make that judgement in the end.
» Don’t become an armchair doctor. Google can be a wonderful tool, but even the most rational among us can turn into raging hypochondriacs if let loose on the Internet when feeling unwell. Before you know it, your bout of strep throat has escalated to some rare form of infectious disease. So make an appointment with a legit MD.

» Don’t become an ill bore. No need to tell your training partner/grocery bagger/mailman the intricacies of your bowel movements or the bacterial eruption in your throat. It’s just not that interesting or pleasant!
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